Implementation of “There is nothing more beautiful than laughter” Frida Kahlo (Sol-GR-559)
Author: Zacharoula Tzini
Introduction
This learning scenario was used with students already familiar with Europeana as a source of knowledge. The application lasted six lessons of 45 minutes as I adapted the knowledge provided in the original script and framed it in the new detailed study plan for the 1st kindergarten of Serres in a class of preschoolers/toddlers aged 4-5 years, a total of 18.
Learning process/Implementation Stages
To begin with, I presented the Europeana home page and used the teaching scenario material by giving a small introduction to what we will be working on for the next period of time, while the actions would last. I reminded the students about the Creative Commons licenses and talked about the methods to be adopted by the working group.
As part of the hands-on experience, the students used different painting techniques, after first being discussed and analyzed by the group, to create paintings inspired by Frida’s work. They had to visually intervene in the painter’s original painting by adding designs and colors that the children themselves chose. Their projects were displayed on the center board of the classroom for discussion and study. All final products were published on an online educational platform and shared with students and parents.
The artist’s works are inspiring and were a good opportunity for the students to reflect on the impact that Frida Kahlo’s artworks and life have on the lives of people who are experiencing similar difficulties in life and despair. They learned about her home country and its culture, listening to its music and talking about its food and flavors.
Questions were raised such as: Can a work of art help a person by identifying with him and being able to name and accept his problem?
Can man overcome his difficulties and draw strength from another man’s life?
This was followed by the aloud reading of the children’s book ¨ Frida Kahlo and her colorful world’ by Dioptra publications, which excited them both as a text and as an illustration, and they then wanted to try something similar.
We concluded our actions with an equally creative part of the script, with the dramatization of scenes from Frida Kalo’s life, where the children, feeling free, captured emotions and moments of the painter’s everyday life, deeply understanding her need and stubbornness for life.
Final thoughts Frida’s life and work are so inexhaustible that I believe that even if we had the opportunity to have as many, we would not have enough. For this scenario, I planned six 45′ teaching hours.
The children showed so much interest in her work mainly because of the strength she showed through them. The hours passed pleasantly as well as very creatively. The course objectives have been met to the maximum extent. The material produced is impressive because it shows the great effort put into the student group.
Students have used Europeana as a source of knowledge and material, greatly improving their digital skills, critical thinking, online research skills, as well as their language skills. The big bet was achieved and the seal of success was given to us by the parents who sealed this success by completing an evaluation sheet of our actions expressing their great satisfaction with the results.
Results
The students explored the world of the painter, coming into contact with many painting techniques. They learned about a different culture of a foreign country, identifying similarities and differences by comparing it to our own.
Approaching her work and life strengthened their self-esteem as Frida Kahlo, despite the physical difficulties and adversity she faced, created a remarkable and recognized body of work. Getting to know her story inspired the children to overcome any difficulties of their own and to believe in themselves.
Also, because her life and work touch on themes such as pain, loss, love and identity, studying them can foster empathy in children, as they will be asked to understand and feel the feelings of others.
For my part, the integration of the Frida Kahlo educational scenario into our lesson was able to enrich it and make it more interesting for the students. It offered a different perspective on history, art, literature and psychology.
It helped me as a teacher to develop teaching skills such as planning activities, organizing the classroom and assessing learning. At the same time, my relationship with the children strengthened greatly promoting discussion and collaborative learning.
For their visualization, web 2.0 tools, such as flip5 art, were used. Both the material as well as our thoughts and feelings have been uploaded to Google Drive to ensure their visibility but also to allow you to navigate this magical journey.
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario?
Link to the learning scenario implemented: There is nothing more beautiful than laughter
Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Museum of World Culture.